Driving mechanism for linotype-machines.



A. J. CLINE.

DRIVI NG MECHANISM FOR LINOTYPE MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12.1915.

L gfififio Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

yqyfi Jn-venforl c i I STA S PAINT ALLAN J. CLINE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB T0 GLINE ELECTRIC MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DRIVING- MECHANISM FOR LINOTYPE-MACHINES.

Application filed July 12, 1915.

nisms for Linotype-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to type-setting machines, and particularly to those known as linotype machines. It is-common practice to drive linotype machines by an electric motor which is connected up by means of a pinion on the armature shaft and a large gear on the main drive-shaft of the machine, such gear having a belt pulley fixedly connected therewith and projecting at one side thereof, which pulley also forms a clutch-member which cooperates with another clutch-memher to drive certain parts of the mechanism which are operated intermittently. The pulley is connected by a belt with certain other parts of the mechanism which are continuously driven. Heretofore it has been the practice to use a pinion and gear having spur teeth, and, for the purpose of making the machine operate quietly, to make the teeth of the pinion of fiber or rawhide. lhis practice has been objectionable for several reasons, but particularly because rawhide or fiber pinions are not as substantial as steel pinions, and consequently have to be replaced frequently; and owing to the fact that the load is intermittently increased at the rate of six or seven times a minute, the use of a spur-cut pinion permits more or less back lash, which not only increases the noise, but wears out the pinion more rapidly. Notwithstanding the fact that these objections have long been manifest, they, have not been remedied prior to my invention, which has for its object to avoid such objections and to provide a construction which makes possible the use of steel pinions, without either back lash or noise, and consequently very materially improves the operation of these machines.

To this end, my invention consists in substituting for the usual rawhide or fiber spurpinion and the spur-gear, a steel pinion and gear which are provided with helical-cut teeth. I have found by experiment that the best results are secured by cutting the teeth Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. lit), 1915?.

Serial no. 39,355.

on an angle of substantially fifteen degrees, which has the result that an effective bearing between the teeth of the pinion and gear is always maintained,- without, however, causing any objectionable end thrust upon the armature shaft, thus avoiding the necessity of using special means for counteracting the end thrust. As has been suggested, there is an intermittent increase in the load, usually SIX or seven times a minute, but the normal load is very light. Consequently any endwise movement of the armature shaft when the load is increased is compensated for by the return of the shaft to its normal position during the next interval when the load is re duced. This action is further promoted by cutting the teeth so that whatever end thrust may be created is directed toward the bear ing of the armature shaft which is farthest from the pinion.

In the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated as much of a linotype machine as is necessary to an understanding of my invention,--

Figure l is a side elevation of the machine, the motor being shown in end view;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the gears and pub ley;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail showing a part of the periphery of the pinion and illustrating more clearly the helical arrangement of its teeth; and

Fig. l is a perspective view of a clutch mechanism.

Referring to the drawings,

4c indicates part of the frame of the machine, 5 the large gear referred to, 6 the belt pulley, which is preferably cast integral with the gear 5, and projects laterally therefrom, 7 a shaft on which the pinion 5 is mounted, and 8 a clutch-member, which cooperates with the inner surface of the pulley 6 to connect said pulley and gear-wheel 5 with the intermittently driven parts of the mechanism. 9 indicates the pinion, which is mounted on the armature shaft 10 of the motor 11. 12 indicates the teeth of the pinion, and 13 the teeth of the gear 5. 14: indicates one of the armature shaft bearings, and 15 the other, in the construction shown both of said bearings being at the same side of the plane of the gear 5. 16 indicates a support, on which the motor is mounted.

The clutch mechanism may be of any suitltltl able type, but by way of illustration I have shown the member 8 as having at its opposite ends pivoted clutch shoes 17. The shoes are connected to clutch shafts 18 which are longitudinally movable in bearings 19. The shoes are pivotally connected to a coupling 20 by means of links 21. The member 8 is keyed to the shaft 7, so as to rotate therewith, and the pulley 6and gear 5 are loose upon this shaft. The coupling 20 is fixed on the outer end of a longitudinally movable shaft 22 which fits within the larger shaft 7 and is keyed thereto so as to rotate therewith When the shaft 22 is moved inwardly of the shaft 7 so that the coupling is brought into engagement with the outer end of the shaft 7, the clutch shoes, due to the links 21, are moved outwardly or radially into operating engagement with the pulley 6. The pulley 6 is constantly driven, while the small shaft 22 is intermittently moved lengthwise so as to throw the shoes into and out of engagement with the pulley 6.

The gear 5 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow shown in F ig. 1, so that it will be apparent'that whatever end thrust there may be will have a tendency to move the armature shaft toward the bearing 1st whichis farthest from the pinion 9, but as has been explained, when the load is reduced owing to the disconnection of the clutch-members, the armature of the motor will float or be buoyantly supported by the film of oil in both shaft bearings so thatthere will not be undue wear on either bear-' ing. The line aa in Fig. 3 illustrates the fact that consecutive teeth of the pinion as they engage the gear 5 are both in contact for an instant with the teeth of the gear, so that there is no interval between the engagement of successive teeth, and consequently no back lash and no noise, successive teeth moving into engagement without any abrupt contact, and therefore without noise, thus making the operation of the machine very smooth and practically noiseless.

masses That whichI claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. In a driving device for linotype machines, the combination of a main drive-gear, a pulley fixedly connected therewith, said gear having helical teeth, a driven member, and means for connecting said drive gear intermittently with the driven member, with an electric motor and a pinion operated by said motor and provided with helical teeth which mesh with the teeth of said gear.

2. In a driving device for linotype machines, the combination of a main drive-gear, a pulley fixedly connected therewith, said gear having helical teeth, a driven member and means for connecting said drive gear intermittently with the driven member, with an electric motor and a pinion operated by the motor and provided with helical teeth which mesh with the teeth of said gear, said teeth being formed at an angle of substantially fifteen degrees.

3. In a driving device for linotype machines, the combination of a main drive-gear, a pulley fixedly connected therewith, said gear having helical teeth, a driven member, a clutch-member carried by said drive-gear for intermittently connecting said drive-gear with the driven member, and an electric motor and a pinion. operated by the motor and .provided with helical'teeth which mesh' with the teeth of said gear.

4;. In a driving device for linotype machines, the combination With a main drivegear and a pulley fixedly connected therewith, said gear having helical teeth, of an electric motor having an armature'shaft, a pinion mountedon said armature shaft and provided with helical teeth which mesh with the teeth of said gear, and bearings for the armature shaft at different distances from said pinion and at the same side of the plane of said gear, the inclination of the teeth of said pinion being such that any end thrust will be toward the bearing of said armature shaft that is farthest from the pinion.

ALLAN J. CLINE. 

